Interns IDed in post-McAllister Statehouse

Senate President Pro Tempore John Campbell, D-Windsor, left, and Senate Secretary John Bloomer discuss the possibility of ethics enforcement in the Senate Cloakroom on Thursday.(Photo: APRIL BURBANK/FREE PRESS)Buy Photo

MONTPELIER – For the first time, interns in the Vermont Statehouse are being counted and identified this year following allegations that a senator sexually assaulted an intern.

Six interns have registered so far: two in the Senate, one in the House of Representatives, and three who work for other staff in the building.

The Senate Rules Committee is considering a rule that would require all senators to register their interns as part of a suite of ethics reforms.

Senators have renewed interest in ethics and interns after the arrest of Sen. Norm McAllister, who has been charged with felony sexual assault in a case that involves a legislative intern and two other women. McAllister has denied the charges in court.

Last week, the Senate voted to suspend McAllister.

In the wake of McAllister’s arrest in May, senators realized no one was keeping track of interns at the Legislature. No one even knew how many interns were in the building.

“It’s probably something you should more formally structure,” Senate Secretary John Bloomer said Thursday at the Senate Rules Committee meeting.

Under the new system, all interns would fill out a registration form and receive information about what they should do if they feel sexually harassed. Interns also would receive a photo identification badge.

The Senate Rules Committee is considering proposals to:

Create a five-member ethics panel to investigate allegations against senators, similar to what the House of Representatives already has.

Require all senators to disclose their employer, and boards and commissions on which they serve.

Require all senators to register their employees, aides, assistants and interns with the Sergeant at Arms.

The Senate Rules Committee is expected to continue weighing the proposals at a meeting next week.

This article was first published online Thursday, Jan. 14, 2016. Contact April Burbank at 802-660-1863 or aburbank@freepressmedia.com. Follow her on Twitter at www.twitter.com/AprilBurbank.